Could A Focus on Care Process Put Care Back into the U.S. Health System?

Abstract

The U.S. health care system continues to underperform compared to other high-income countries, despite excelling on measures of care delivery and quality, also referred to as indicators of “care process.” This commentary explores how the U.S. managed to perform well on measures of care process and how learning from this lone area of positive cross-country comparison can provide valuable lessons for improving overall health care system performance. By applying these lessons, the U.S. can create a more effective, efficient, and equitable health care system, ensuring better access, streamlined administration, and improved health outcomes for more Americans.